Made in the Bronx: Delicioso Coco Helado keeps a Bronx tradition alive, one scoop at a time
The company, which was founded in 1968, continues to produce the iconic frozen treat that has become part of the city’s cultural fabric.
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Delicioso Coco Helado in the Bronx has been a summertime staple for generations of New Yorkers, from the familiar chant of “coco, cherry, mango,” to the metal carts rolling through city streets.
The company, which was founded in 1968, continues to produce the iconic frozen treat that has become part of the city’s cultural fabric.
Alfredo Thiebaud, an immigrant from Honduras, created the business. He wanted to bring the tropical flavors of his childhood to his new home. Today, his daughter, Sophia Pastora, leads the company and preserves both his recipes and his mission.
“He wanted people to taste what his culture was about,” Pastora said. “At the same time, he wanted to empower other people to have a job to sell this product.”
Water, sugar and fruit flavor are blended in large tanks before being frozen, packed and stored in freezers that drop to 20 degrees below zero inside the company’s factory. Coconut remains the top seller — made with 100% real coconut, a standard Pastora says her father insisted on.
The company has grown far beyond its early days. It now employs more than a dozen workers in production and supplies hundreds of licensed street vendors across New York City. The building also serves as a legal depot, where vendors store their carts and receive help navigating licensing, insurance and inspections.
“For immigrants, it’s very hard to find a job, especially if they don’t know the language,” Pastora said. “He started selling himself first, and then people said, ‘I want to do this.’”
Even as the business expands nationally, the Bronx remains its home and the sound of its carts remains a familiar part of summer in the city.
“He believed nothing handed to you was good,” Pastora said. “Your pride comes from the work. That hustle is what he believed empowered people.”
Pastora says she plans to keep her father’s legacy alive in the borough where it began, one scoop at a time.
